This invention relates in general to wheelchairs, and in particular, to wheelchairs having pivoting backrest structures.
Wheelchairs are provided with seating structures to comfortably accommodate a user in a seated position, often for a prolonged period. One feature provided to increase user comfort is the ability to position the backrest relative to the seat bottom. The backrest may be pivotally mounted to a frame portion of the wheelchair by way of a hinge element. The frame portion may also support the seat bottom. A latching structure may be provided to fix the position of the backrest relative to the seat bottom.
In order to provide ease of portability, some backrests are foldable to a stowed position to reduce the package size for transporting the wheelchair. Some pivoting backrests are provided with separate latching mechanisms to provide backrest position adjustments and to fold or stow the backrest. These separate latches allow a user to unfold and return the backrest to a prior use position without having to readjust the position settings. Though adequate for transitioning between a stowed and a use position, the two locking mechanisms are each strong enough to hold the seatback in position and each include separate release componentry. These extra parts increase complexity and weight.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a wheelchair with a pivoting and folding backrest that is of relatively simple construction. It would be further desirable to provide a single, integrated hinge and latching mechanism that allows for small adjustments of the frame relative to a first configuration and a large adjustment to a second configuration with subsequent easy return to the previous adjusted first configuration.